Last year, the ProPublica journalism watchdog group and The Los Angeles Times teamed up for an extensive investigation into the California nursing profession. Their shocking findings were published in July 2009.

“The board charged with overseeing California’s 350,000 registered nurses often takes years to act on complaints of egregious misconduct, leaving nurses accused of wrongdoing free to practice without restrictions,” the investigation found. “It’s a high-stakes gamble that no one will be hurt as nurses with histories of drug abuse, negligence, violence and incompetence continue to provide care across the state. While the inquiries drag on, many nurses maintain spotless records. New employers and patients have no way of knowing the risks.”

The anecdotes accompanying the investigative series were mortifying – tales of nurses whose incompetence led to patient deaths or who repeatedly assaulted those in their care or who regularly worked under the influence of drugs yet never faced sanctions.

The investigation led Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to fire most members of the state board overseeing registered nurses. It prompted Sen. Gloria Negrete McLeod – chairwoman of the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee – to introduce SB 1111. The key reform in the Montclair Democrat’s bill was the requirement that employers report nurses and some other health professionals who are guilty of misconduct to the state board that licenses them.

Last week, the Senate committee held its first vote on the bill. McLeod was the only “yes” vote. Sen. Mark Wyland, R-Solana Beach, voted “no”; all other members abstained.

So much for the public interest. So much for common sense. The California Nurses Association and its allies weren’t about to allow such concerns to get in the way of their power play.

The parallels with the California Teachers Association could not be more precise. Both the nurses union and the teachers union depict themselves as noble defenders of the public. The reality is that they are bare-knuckled special interests that use their clout to keep incompetents – and worse – on the job.

On its website, the CNA says it agrees with the goal of SB 1111 – protecting patients from bad nurses – and is willing to support the bill if it is amended to remove some provisions the union finds onerous. But this constructive, let’s-work-it-out attitude wasn’t reflected in the CNA’s actual dealings with members of the Senate professions committee. They were left with the clear impression that the CNA wanted SB 1111 dead. They were also left with the impression that this opposition wasn’t just because of concern about the bill’s provisions but because it was associated with the governor, who has clashed repeatedly with the CNA in recent years.

This is pathetic, this politics of payback. We find it hard to believe this is really what the members of the California Nurses Association want their union to be doing with its power. We think most agree that dangerous nurses should be reported to authorities – not protected.